Don’t get me wrong, I completely understand everyone has to work to a budget – overspending means you don’t get to spend money elsewhere, therefore cheaper options seem more appealing… I get it!

Here’s a really important thing to consider when thinking about wedding entertainment – believe it or not, statistically speaking, entertainment is the most memorable part of any wedding!

Why would you risk it being the most memorable part of your big day for the wrong reasons?

You might get let down…

“My parents booked a magician some time ago, but he has let us down. My mum is very upset.”

I receive emails like this all the time… it’s terrible!

Quite often cheap magicians are not full time professional entertainers. They’re juggling the magic alongside a full time job, therefore don’t need the additional cash and won’t mind letting you down if they get a text from their mate the day before asking if they want to go to the pub.

As in the example, they don’t even bother to help try and find a replacement.

No insurance…

This is something overlooked by many.

Don’t be embarrassed to ask if they’re insured – every performer needs to have adequate insurance in place.

Most venues specifically request copies of external suppliers Public Liability Insurance certificates. If the wedding magician doesn’t have this, they won’t be able to perform at that venue, therefore you won’t be able to use their services.

Insurance can be expensive – hiring a cheap magician can sometimes be an indication that maybe they don’t have insurance.

May not be experienced…

It’s not just about showing people magic tricks – I pride myself in being able to bring groups of strangers together and showing them incredible things they wont have seen before, therefore leaving them with something in common to talk about.

Going up to a group of strangers can be daunting for someone with little experience. 

I completely understand that everyone has to start somewhere. If the wedding magician you’ve booked is looking to gain experience and you’re aware of that, then no problem at all!

May not be helpful…

You might want to ask your magician if they can recommend other entertainment options. Maybe you want to have an invoice receipt for your payments. You may even want the ability to pay by debit/credit card.

Cheap magicians tend to be sloppy – their communication with you won’t be their main priority as they focus on their full time job.

They probably won’t have the facility to take card payments, or have a convenient and secure booking system. Professional wedding entertainers make processes fast, easy and convenient for you, which is something cheaper alternatives can’t offer.

Not very well presented…

This will all sound obvious, but you’d be very surprised!

A full time professional wedding magician prides themselves on looking good. They’ll have a clean and tidy hair cut, will have showered and smell nice and will have a nice sharply pressed suit. Having said this, there are other ‘cheaper entertainers’ that don’t spend money getting their suit dry cleaned, looking smart and smelling fresh (disgusting, right?). You don’t want that magician walking around your wedding, trust me!

As well as the above, they’ll probably be reusing the same pack of cards they’ve been using for years… cards cost a couple of quid!

5 Top Tips:

Whoever you decide to book, just be aware that there will always be cheaper alternatives – try not to let the price be a deciding factor.

Do your research and remember that the entertainment is what people will remember forever!

• Read their reviews – check out what other people have to say about them
• Check they’re insured – this is a big thing. Venues do request this as a minimum.
• Watch them in action – watch videos of them performing, or request to meet them
• Speak to them – call and speak to your entertainer, and build a rapport
• Magic Circle Member – most reputable magicians will be a member of The Magic Circle in London. There’s a strict audition process, so you know they’ll be good – members will be proud to tell you!